Here is our top picks for the best drones under 100 dollars. While the drone market is flooded with hundreds of models with thousands of specifications, it is important to select the best drones for beginners. A good starting price for drones for beginners is 100 dollars. Many of us can afford to have such best drones under 100 dollars and kick start the drone life! However, it can be quite difficult to make a choice among different quadcopter drone models which are available for prices under $100. You can read this drone review guide to find out the best drones under 100 dollars.

Please note that the prices of drones mentioned here changes frequently, but we will always try to put the updated prices whenever available.

Best Drones Under 100 Dollars (Updated May 2017)

Syma X5C Quadcopter:

The Syma X5C is the best handling and easiest to fly of any of the entry level quadcopter drones. It is equipped with HD cameras, 2.4G 6 Axis Gyro with a 7 Minute flight time and 100 minute charge time. You can Perform flips at the press of a button with 360 degree eversion. It is Wind resistant and can be flown indoors or outdoors without much hassle. The Syma X5c Quadcopter has Colorful flashing light, which keeps your Aircraft at night Flying quite excellent.

The Husban X4 Quadcopter with FPV Camera has a Control distance of 50 – 100meters and Live video distance around 100 meters. It is equipped with Latest 6-axis flight control system with adjustable gyro sensitivity. Other features are:
Lightweight airframe with nice durability
Instant video preview on transmitter,Battery: 3.7V Voltage, 380mAh li-po battery with auto cut off safety PCB
Refer page no 23 for troubleshooting steps from user manual below
6 Axis Gyro Stabilization ,Immersive FPV Flight
Record Flight Video to SD Card

JXD 509

The JXD 509W RC Quadcopter drone has WIFI FPV High Hold Mode, One Key Return and an HD WIFI Camera.

It has the following features which makes it an important one among the best drones under 100 dollars: 6-axis gyro quad, strong stability, easily implement various flight movements, stronger wind resistance, easier to control;Full Scale Remote Control with built-in 6 axis gyro system;With 2.4G Transmiter/ Easy Adjust Frequency
360 degree flips;One key to return function makes it easily to find the way home;With Headless Mode/ no need to adjust the position of aircraft before flying;Automatically set high,not limited height,stable and reliable,simple operation, automatically take-off, a key to land.

Syma X5UW is one of the newest arrivals in the best drones under 100 dollars list. It has some interesting features like altitude hold,mobile app control and FPV. The stability is above average, and build quality is excellent. Don’t worry if you are a first time drone flyer, this one will survive many of the accidental crashes! Other features are: App control: Unique remote control function of app,enables the users to experience the new fun of flying. To fly your drone even without the transmitter
HD Wifi Real-Time Transmission Aerial: Quadcopter equipped with HD cameras, lets you control the aircraft enjoy taking pictures/video of the pleasure flights.
Flight Plan:Open the “SYMA GO”app: Use flight plan at your fingertips. Just draw a route on the screen. The copter will auto pilot as per the given path.
One key take-off/landing, Video/Photograph/Raise & Down/Forwards & Backwards/Left & Right Turning/Left & Right Flying/Hovering/360 Degree Rotating.Colorful LED light: Suitable for flying in the dark at night
More new function than syma Drone X5HW and X5HC. 2pcs Battery Included, enjoy a longer flight time!

Conclusion

In this list of Best drones under 100 dollars, we have mainly included brands which are proven to be durable and value for money. You must keep in mind that if you need better camera quality and Pro features, you must go for a drone with higher price. We will soon publish an updated list of best drones under 500 dollars. Stay Tuned.

Intrigued by Quadcopters? A quick search on YouTube will reveal a wide selection of videos from radio-controlled (RC) multi-rotor model aircraft known as quadcopters or drones. These incredible aircraft rely solely on horizontal propellers (rotors) to provide both lift and directional control. While most multi-rotors have four propellers, hence the name “quadcopters” or just “quads” for short, some drones have six or eight rotors for additional lift. In this article I’m going to give you a brief idea about flying drones and things to note before buying one for yourself.

Despite their notably ugly, or less than aerodynamic appearance, quadcopter drones are unique for their vertical take of and landing ability, their steady hovering ability and for capturing photographs and video footage from high vantage points. Many of them can also lift a surprisingly heavy payload (not tons, but enough to lift a small package or a good quality camera). With the quads unique ability to hover in place and fly in confined spaces, quadcopters can often a flying experience that cant be mimics by traditional R/C controlled airplanes, helicopters or ground based drones. Spend some time on YouTube and you’ll see what I mean. Not only that, but quads are much easier to learn to fly and a fun with or without a camera attached.

But before you rush out and buy a drone of your own, there are a few things you should consider. First, drones can be dangerous if flown without their rotor guards on. Those fast spinning rotors are capable of inflicting a surprising amount of injury and/or damage if they hit something or someone…one writer referred to them as a “flying Cuisinart”.

Second, drones require practice and skill to fly successfully.think“juggling”, it looks simple until you try it. While learning to fly a quadcopter is much easier than any other RC controlled aircraft, there is a learning curve and some element of frustration involved before you become an ACE. But after a few days of practice, most people feel very comfortable at the controls.

Third, some people get freaked out by drones or quads because they are concerned they can be used to take candid photographs that would not otherwise be possible to get. Make sure your neighbors are understanding before you start flying drones over the backyard fence to see what theyre grilling on the barbecue.

The Anatomy of a Quadcopter

Like with all RC vehicles, a quad has two basic components to deal with: a transmitter and the vehicle itself. The transmitter or controller is the device you hold to control the quad in the air. A quad transmitter is the standard two-joystick box that can also be used to control RC airplanes, boats, cars, trucks and helicopters. Moving the left joystick up or down changes the power setting on all four motors and makes the quad climb, descend, or maintain altitude. Moving the left joystick to the left or right causes the quad to yaw in that direction (i.e., it pivots about an imaginary vertical axis through the center of the vehicle). The right joystick controls pitch and roll. Simply put, whatever direction you move the right joystick will command the quad to tilt and translate in that direction.

Most quads are arranged in an X configuration (when looking from above) with a motor/propeller at each corner. A rechargeable lithium polymer battery provides power for the motors and the electronic equipment on-board the quad. As a beginner, it isnt really necessary to understand the function of all of a quad’s electronics. That will come as you get more into the hobby. For now, you just need to understand that the four motors work in unison, at different speeds, to keep a quad hovering and maneuvering through the air.

How to Fly a Quadcopter?

One aspect of RC flight that gives beginners trouble is the light touch that most quads and other RC aircraft require. Most beginning pilots tend to over-control and then over-correct. The result is a jerky flight that often does not end well for the quad. Watching videos from these flights can make you airsick. The key is to learn to fly with a very gentle touch.

Another hurdle for beginning pilots is overcoming the perspective of being outside the model. For example, when the quad is in front of, and facing away from you, everything seems normal. Right is right, left is left and forward is forward. However, when the nose of the quad is pointing towards you the perspective changes. Now, when you command the quad to fly to the right, you will see it fly to your left. When you command it to fly backward, it will fly forward. The quad is still responding to your command correctly, it’s just that your right/left and front/back and the quads are no longer the same.

When I was getting started the hardest thing about flying a quad was keeping track of which end was the front and which was the rear. Because quads dont have wings, or an aerodynamic shape that give you a clue, it is often difficult to know which side if the front and which is the back, especially when the drone is 500 feet away from you. This often led to confusion about how to control or direct the quads flight. Commanding the quad to fly right when you meant left is the root cause of many crashes.

While there is a learning curve to flying a quad , I have never met anyone who didnt eventually get the hang of it. Most catch on rather quickly…especially kids. It just takes getting in some flight time, being patient, and learning from your mistakes. And yes, that also means a occasionally making repairs to your quad after a crash.

How To Get Started with Flying Drones?

Logging flight time does not mean that you have to fly put an expensive, camera-equipped quadcopter and put it at risk. That would be like learning to juggle using your mothers fine china. A more sensible option is to get a RC flight simulator for your PC. The one I like is RealFlight 6.5, which includes a quad in its stock database of simulated aircraft. Whats very important, is that RealFlight includes a USB controller with the same look and feel as a RC transmitter. This helps to make the transition from virtual flight time to real world flying a breeze. But the most important thing is, no matter how badly you crash the virtual quad on the screen, you can press the reset button and instantly get a new one!

Another great way to learn to fly a quad is to purchase an inexpensive mini or micro quad. These are small (about 5”x 5”) quadcopters that look and fly much the same way the larger quads do, but only cost around $40. The advantage of learning on a micro quad is that they are so light and their motors have so little power, their tiny propellers are very unlikely to cause any harm when you smack them into something, which you will!

My first quad was a Hubsan X4 . I started with this one because it is a hobby grade micro quad, as opposed to “toy or throw away model. This means you can get spare parts and repair it if you damage it. Its safe to say my little Hubsan X4 took quite a bit of abuse as I flew it into things (including getting lodged in a tree and stuck on my roof) as I learned the basics of quads. Even with my mediocre mechanical skills I was able to keep it flying by replacing nothing more than the occasional broken propeller.

A great thing about micro quads is that you can fly them indoors. To parphase the U.S. Postal Service, neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night shall impede you from your training and flying pleasure. As I said, you will bump into things as you learn (and even afterward) so be sensible and stay away from pets, kids, the Ming vase in the living room…you get the idea. Oh, and turn off the ceiling fan! I lost one mini-drone to those blades of death. Other than exercising a few precautions, there is little to worry about. As your piloting skills progress, you can challenge yourself with increasingly difficult tasks. You may start out just trying to land on your desk. In time, you’ll be chasing old Fido around the living room.

The Next Step

Once you feel that you have the hang of flying drones, it’s time to upgrade to something capable of carrying a high quality camera. It is worth mentioning that there are some micro quads with integrated cameras (including the V-Cam version of the 1SQ). These quads are also a lot of fun and you can get some good experience tackling the challenges of filming without the benefit of a viewfinder. Just don’t expect the image quality to meet the level that weve become accustomed to from GoPro and similar cameras.

Beyond micro quads, there is a lot of room to grow in terms of cost and capabilities, but let’s focus on the next logical step. The DJI Phantom is a very popular quad that is capable of carrying a GoPro camera. The Phantom includes all of the things that you want in an intermediate quad: attitude stabilization, brushless motors, a GPS unit, a built-in GoPro mount, etc. What has made the Phantom so popular is that all of these components come preconfigured and integrated as a flight-ready system. You can bring home a Phantom and have it flying in the time it takes to charge the included battery (about an hour).

If you choose to buy a Phantom, I think you will agree that it is considerably easier to fly than a micro quad. I’ve found the Phantom’s stabilization and position-holding ability to be rock solid. I can park it in the sky and take my hands off of the joysticks. Even if there is a light breeze, the Phantom will stay in place until I command it to go somewhere else.

Unlike micro drones, the Phantom has enough mass and horsepower to cause grief when you hit something with it, so play it safe and find a nice open field for your first flight. You will appreciate the elbow room until you get comfortable flying the Phantom. But whenever you fly you should always ask yourself “Is it safe to fly here?”

Some makers will shun the turnkey approach afforded by the Phantom, since its an all-in-one package that works out of the box. Fortunately, DJI and other companies offer many quads in kit form. This lets you choose the components you want and customize the quad to your liking. Taking the DIY route also provides you with an intimate knowledge of how the different components of a quad work in unison to achieve controlled flight.

You may find that a Phantom/GoPro combo is all that you need to satisfy your aerial photography ambitions. For many fliers, however, this stage is a gateway to more capable set-ups. One popular upgrade is to add a First Person View (FPV) system. FPV provides a real-time video downlink from the quad. When you connect that downlink to a portable screen or video goggles, you get the same bird’s eye view as the onboard camera…neat stuff for sure. FPV systems are often coupled with a two-axis gimbal that lets you pan and tilt the camera during flight. Just be aware that most FPV systems require a HAM Technician license to operate legally.

GoPro Heroes are awesome little cameras that will serve you well. If, however, you yearn to carry higher end video equipment, there is probably a multi-rotor to fit the bill. The cost and complexity of these aircraft climb accordingly. Most of the larger multi-rotors have six or eight motors. Some of these units can run several thousand dollars (without video equipment). It’s a matter of balancing your budget and skills with the image quality that you aim to achieve.

Finding a Sense of Community

With the ever-growing popularity of quads, there’s no reason to jump in to the hobby alone. Unless you live way out in the boonies, there is probably an established quad flyer not too far away. Search for flying drones clubs and hobby shops in your area to get started. Most RCers are happy to share their knowledge and experience. There are also numerous online forums that discuss all aspects of quads and other RC endeavors. One good one is RCGroups.com. You might also like to join the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA), the national organization that provides a community for all types of modelers. In fact, AMA membership is a prerequisite for joining most local RC clubs.

Get Going!

This intro guide is light on technical information. I hope, however, that it will help you to avoid some common mistakes and get you started in the right direction. Flying drones is a lot of fun, and shooting awesome pictures and cool videos only sweetens the deal. It just takes a little bit of training and situational awareness to be successful. So fly where no drones have flown before and have fun!

Have you ever thought about flying a drone inside your apartment? No doubt you can safely do it with a mini quadcopter. A mini quadcopter, nano drone or micro quad, is actually nothing more than it sounds; it is a smaller version of the original drone quadcopter. Most functionalities and capabilities are generally the same such as the quadcopter design, flight ability, stability, and durability. There are some major advantages in a mini quadcopters such as an increased battery life and reduced price. Here I will give an idea about the features of some best mini quadcopter drones available in the market.

Flying drones can be exciting and can turn into quite an addiction at times, but the major down side will always be the price. Whether it’s the initial investment or the cost of repairing broken parts mini quadcopters tend to be less expensive in the short and long term. Another great advantage, especially for beginner drone pilots, is the longer battery life. Smaller quads have lighter initial loads causing the battery life to be longer. Most mini quadcopters can fly for at least 10 minutes which means more practice time!

Latest Best Mini Quadcopter Drones

See the curated list of best mini quadcopter drones of 2017. You may read a concise overview and go to the individual review links for in depth reviews. More videos of flying drones will be available on YouTube.

Horizon Hobby Blade Nano QX RTF Quadcopter

The Blade Nano is great for any level quad enthusiast but it’s probably the best quadcopter for beginners. Since it’s so small, weighing in at only a little over a half ounce, it is mainly meant to be flown indoors. If you take it outside to fly wind speed must be almost 0 mph due to how little it weighs.

Even outdoors it flies very straight and does not pull to one side or another. Tricks are also very easy to perform outside since you need to be at a decently high altitude. Once you are high in the air just simply switch to agility mode and pull quickly in the right stick. Once you’ve performed your tricks switch back to safe mode and you are ready to start flying again.

Another nice functionality about the Blade Nano is that you have the option to purchase it either with or without a controller. If you already own a compatible controller you can save a bit of money and just bind your new Blade Nano to it and you’re ready to fly.

Syma X1 4 Channel 2.4G RC Quad Copter

Selecting your best mini quadcopter from a well known brand such as Syma is always preferred.

This quadcopter is of entry level, but offers excellent handling and ease of operation at an ultra affordable price. Included with the Syma X1 is everything you need to fly the same day you receive your mini drone. You will receive 1 9 x 9” 3CH 3-axis micro quadcopter along with 4 blades, a LCD remote controller, a 3.7v 350mAh LiPo battery, and a USB charger for the battery. To get a full charge on the battery, it must stay plugged in for about 40 minutes which will give you about 6 minutes of flying time. If you are just learning how to fly, I would highly recommend buying at least one more battery time so you can get more practice in each time you fly.

Once you’ve mastered hovering and basic controls you can move to practicing 3D flips! Stability and agility almost come natural with mini quadcopters but especially for the Syma X1 as it’s crucial for performing complicated maneuvers. With the Syma X1 you can do pirouettes, flips, rolls, and much more, partially due to the rapid response of the 2.4GHz radio control.

Traxxas QR-1

This is one of the top mini quadcopters for intermediate skill level fliers. The Traxxas QR-1 is great for flying indoors or outside. The design is truly made to last even through the most devastating crashes. Even in the unfortunate instance where something does break it can easily be repaired by purchasing the replacement part on Traxxass website. Also, the QR-1 can perform maneuvers and tricks such as barrel rolls, flips and the craziest of stunts.

This mini quadcopter comes in 4 colors that you can choose from which include blue, red, orange and green. What makes this drone so great, though, is the two flying modes, normal and expert, that allow both beginners and intermediate to advanced level fliers to feel comfortable flying this quad. Furthermore, blue LED lights will guide your way during night time flying. Not many nano quads have these capabilities so if you’re looking for a reasonably priced mini quadcopter with many functions, the Traxxas QR-1 is a great choice.

Husban X4 H107L

Before moving into the technical features, look at the Husban X4 H107L quadcopter. I am sure that you will get excited to own such a blue colored beast. I must say that this is one of the cutest drones I have ever seen!

Measuring in at only 6 x 6” the Husban X4 is one of the tiniest and most lightweight mini quadcopters currently available. Due to the smaller size the 3.7V 240 mAh battery consumes less energy to lift the quad off the ground which results in a longer flying time.

Although most mini quadcopter droness have a longer battery life than the larger quads such as the DJI Phantom, the Husban X4 gets an exceptional 8 minutes or more on one charge.

Also similar to other mini quads, the Husban X4 should mainly only be flown indoors. If you do fly outside make sure there is no or very limited wind. For the price the Husban X4 H107L is a great practice micro quadcopter for any skill level pilot and thus we included it in this list of best mini quadcopter.

Estes 4606 Proto X Nano Quadcopter

One of the smallest mini quadcopter drones available, the Estes Proto X Nano measures in at only 1.5 x 1.5” and weighs a mere .4 oz. Since it’s so small the rechargeable LiPo battery is actually built in and never needs to be removed, even for charging. To charge the quad a USB charging cable is included in the package which you can connect directly to your quad.

You will also receive 4 spare rotor blades to replace the broken blades in the instance of a crash. This is a fairly well built quad but even if you’re very careful accidents are bound to happen and things will break so thankfully you’re supplied with what you will need ahead of time!

A feature that has been added to hopefully avoid frequent crashes are front and back LED light indicators. The front and back of the micro copter will clearly be visible in low light flying which will eliminate confusion and disorientation. This is truly one of the smallest and best mini quadcopters especially for the price.

Conclusion

Hope you got a clear idea for choosing the best mini quadcopter. Let me know about your recent purchases and drone flying experiences by commenting below.

The Hubsan X4 H107D Quadcopter is a newbie friendly and very much affordable FPV drone. It gives a flight time of 7 minutes on a single charge. It takes around 45 minutes to charge the batteries fully.In this Hubsan X4 H107D review,I will try to unveil the main features and attractions of this small cute flying beast!

Hubsan X4 H107D Quadcopter Features

Hubsan X4 H107D Size

This is a typical mini drone. The weight is just 340 grams. There is a misconception that mini drones are difficult to control and operate. But from my experience, it is evident that it is not that much tough to handle this drone properly. Initially it felt difficult, but after flying it twice, I could control it and maneuver as I like.

The Design and Durability

Husban X4 H107D is built with Lightweight air frame with nice durability. The Latest 6-axis flight control system make it fly more smoothly and easily. You will feel a Super stable flight experience. The front side of this quadcopter is equipped with two LED lights. 2 Front side propellers are white and two rear side propellers are red in color. This unique color difference is useful if you need to dismantle and replace the propeller blades. There is a rubber feet for added protection. I will recommend buying propeller guards, if you are going to do a lot of crashing.

Battery

The quad copter comes with installed 3.7V 380mAh lithium polymer battery but the battery for transmitter is not included in the sales package. You will have to purchase 4 AA batteries separately. The flying time is 7 minutes on a single recharge of 45 minutes. There is a USB cable included using which the batteries can be recharged by connecting to a USB port. I won’t say that the battery performance is excellent, but it is above average for the price range in which this drone is sold.

Hubsan X4 H107D Video Recording

This quadcopter can record videos in 640 x 480 resolution. Although it lacks HD video recording, the quality of videos is very much impressive for this price range of $80 to $150. Control distance of Hubsan X4 H107D is around 100meters and it can get Live video from around 100 meters.

Hubsan X4 H107D FPV

The 4.3-inch LCD viewing monitor is built directly into the drone’s wireless controller. You can fly your drone without actually having to see it. Note that this is one of the cheapest FPV drones available in the market presently.

Final Verdict of Hubsan X4 H107D Review

This Husban X4 H107D quadcopter drone is a perfect beginner friendly model which offers very good features at a starter price. If you plan to kick start your drone flying with an affordable drone, this one is the best choice for you.